⧠A profitable Exposition of the Lords Prayer by way of Questions and Answers for most playnnes Together with many fruitfull applications to the life and Soule aswell for the terror of the dull and dead as for the sweet comfort of the tender harted By Geruase Babington With a Table of the principall matters conteyned in this Booke PSALME 119. O how sweete are thy words vnto my throte yea sweeter than honie vnto my mouth AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Orwin for Thomas Charde 1588. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE HIS VERY singular good Lord Henry Earle of Penbrooke Lord Harbert of Cardiff Marnion and S. Quintine Lord President of Wales and the Marches thereof and of the most Honorable Order of the Garter Knight and to the Right Honorable and vertuous Ladie the Countesse his wife G.B. wisheth all mercie and comfort in Christ Iesus both here now and for euer COnsider the olde generatiōs of mē ye children sayd that wise Sonne of Sirach Right Honorable and my very singular good Lord in his tyme marke them well VVas there euer any confounded that put his trust in the Lord Or who hath continued in his feare and was forsaken Or whom did he euer despise that called vpon him Agreeably truely to all Scriptures and experiences euer if they were searched For such a thing is it to cleaue vnto the Lorde with a faithfull heart that the Bride may forget to trim her selfe the day she is maried and the mother her Jnfant she bare of her bodie and esteemeth full deere before the Lord of heauen can forget such The Lorde knoweth the daies of the vpright men their inheritance shalbe perpetual They shall not be confounded in the perillous tyme and in the daies of famine they shall haue enough Though he fall he shall not bee cast of for the Lord putteth vnder his hand The Lord shall exalt them as themselues shall see and their ende sayth the Prophet shall bee peace Thousands of comforts hath the word mo yet these are both many and great ones if we marke thē Gayne is not godlinesse saith the Apostle but godlinesse is great gayne and hath the promise both of this life that to come VVherfore Right Honorable more ioye in this than in all the earth if it might be your owne For the earth must perish and all the glistring glorie of it passe away as a tale that is tolde burnt and consumed melted with heate but the feare of the Lord shall set her seruants before the highest for euer euer Now did the Apostle say to King Agrippa before so many O King Agrippa J knowe thou beleeuest Surely I may say it before as many I knowe Right Honorable your L. beleeueth both Prophets and Apostles and whatsoeuer the childe of God is bound to beleeue vnto saluatiō I say I know it and yet know I it not alone but others with me aswell as J attending your L. both in like and other places And if we should all denye it yet would the world steppe in and say it knewe what we denied God haue the glorie to whō it is due of his free election manifested both to your self and others by a true calling vnto sanctification And it remaineth Right H. that with a spirit flaming with thankefull loue to so gracious a God you let your light shine further further to a greater glory to the Lord a fuller cōfort to your owne soule Performe your selfe therefore in all truth of hart before the iudging eyes of a mightie God still more more as you do alreadie an honorable maintainer and furtherer of his truth A shield and defence to all the godly in their griefes and distresses Carefull to haue both your selfe and your familie gouerned by the precious and holy word of God maintayning and countenancing to that end as most honorably you do both at home and abroade the Lords poore seruants appoynted to that ministerie Be a rare example stil both worthy honoring and following of carefull bestowing of those liuings whereof God hath made your Lordship Patrone Multiplie as the Lord shall assist those your Honors zealous prayers which some can witnesse for the peace of Hierusalem that her rightuousnes may breake forth as the light saluation as a burning lampe And stil say with the Prophet Dauid we wish you good lucke ye that be of the house of the Lord. Your Honorable seruices for a most gracious Soueraine as euer the earth had any and for your deere Countrey let them still as they are be most sweete and ioyful to you In your Honorable place and gouernment carie your zeale as your L. doth euen more more agaynst the incorrigible aduersaries of Judah and Beniamin to note their doings to obserue their drifts and to ouerthrowe their plots Cut off still with your sword of holy Iustice as with exceeding trauell your Lordship most honorably doth those contentions disorders and offences that corruption both breedeth and feedeth ouer much And finally as the Apostle sayth if there be any vertue if there be any praise to God or to Prince to Countrey or to any Right Ho. thinke of that For so shall your L. establish your selfe both in earth and in heauen both here and for euer Yea your self your seede as the former promises haue giuen assurance And so shall you to your God and your self as many as knowe your vertues stand approued euer whatsoeuer either ignorance or vnkindnesse may effect in some VVithout this course care in a measure as the Lord shall giue well may a worlde continue a while flattring fauning with many delights God being patient and forbearing long but the end is destruction death and confusion God being iust and paying at last Your self Madame still more and more as your Ladiship doth partake with your owne what your place permitteth in these Honorable actions make them also your owne Let it still be your honorable iust true praise that you feare the Lord that you loue his truth fauour his followers and abhorre his foes For there is no praise shall continue as this there is no wisedome that may bee compared to it The feare of God is the beginning of wisedome a good vnderstanding haue all they that do thereafter the praise of it indureth for euer Againe let this be your wisedome sayd the Lorde of heauen to that people once euen to heare my wordes and to worke my will with a carefull hart For then shall all Nations say you only are wise and you onely haue knowledge of the best course Let it be your Posie Right Honorable as pleasant as euer it was And now Lorde what is my hope truely my hope is euen in thee Though the Lorde should kill mee yet will I put my trust in him And let that plaine Prophet strengthen your Ladiship still by his words to King Asa all Judah The Lord is with you while ye be with him
bée vsed and our soules prepared therevnto by some fit meditation of it before Prayer This wanted the proud Pharisie therefore his prayer sheweth no zeale nor heate as the humble hart that commeth creeping to the Lord in humilitie confessing greefe for sinne and speaketh as one doth to him that hath no cause to giue but great and many to withholde Euer therefore bée carefull of this to kéepe vppon your soule as vpon a trée that you would haue growe broade and large but not high a weight of her owne true vnworthinesse and certainely you shall finde the power of it in quickening affection when you pray great The seconde meanes is a true consideration of the things that we aske for how profitable expedient and good for vs they are howe bad wee are without them c. By which thinges there shall growe in our hartes an heate and prayer for them more earnest and if this be wanting wée pray in an order and a forme but zeale is away forasmuch as wee knowe no great hurte if we spéede not and if ou◠wordes be more vehement than the true and simple desire of the thinges prayed for doth procure it is mockerie such as the Lorde will punish And therefore let this be an other Christian meanes carefullie vsed euer as we may in our prayers to worke a right affection in vs euen so much as euer wée can to consider of the things we want and aske before we aske them Then when we sée these two to wit our vnworthinesse to receiue and the benefite of the gift let the thirde be a true viewe of the want of any vnder meanes in this worlde to compasse our desire by or if we haue any as friendes riches and such like yet the great inabilitie that is in them all vnlesse the Lorde say Amen giue his blessing to their labours and prosper their indeuours for vs. For thus againe will growe a feruentnesse in our affections and a right godly zeale in our prayers Yea the more emptie that we come before the Lord in this respect the more life hath our Prayers alwaies For he that in truth doubteth his helpe at home to bee sufficient his suite for reliefe abroad will be more earnest He that secretly shrinketh to the conceipt of the power of any second cause whatsoeuer to giue him any good by and cleaueth not only to the Lord in a Christian renounciation of all the meanes in the world further then hee will vouchsafe to blesse them his Prayer shall be colde and more frosen as resting vpon other matters aswell as vpon his prayer and if he speede neuer so thankfull to the Lord neither Therefore you see a third care of the childe of God if he will haue his prayer pithie euen to emptie his hart of al such earthly bondage as we haue spoken of to goe to his knees either without them in déede or without any trust and confidence in them further then the Lorde shall strengthen them to him and for him A fourth is an eye to the sweete promises of God concerning the sutes of his children to him which are so manie and so intire as no heart if it be not flint or stéele but must receiue comforte and courage to speake vnto such a Lord. Aske and you shall haue seeke and you shall finde knocke and it shalbe opened vnto you Yea whatsoeuer you shall aske the Father in my name he will giue it you Call vpon me and I will heare you Come vnto me and I will refresh you Whosoeuer shall call vpon the Lord shall be saued And a thousand such like Muse vpon them till the fire kindle within you and then speake with a spirit to so sweet a God as so cheareth his children to pray hartely And remember it often what once was saide I will come into thy house euen vpon the multitude of thy mercie and in thy feare will I worshippe toward thy holy temple The multitude of Gods mercies make a sweete entraunce into the house of Prayer yea say you with Dauid ioyfully and comfortably In Gods worde will I reioyce in the Lords worde will I comfort my selfe in God haue I put my trust I will not feare what man can doe vnto me Other meaner helpes also there be of affection not to bee contemned of the godly as to speake and pronounce our Prayers with words for sometimes our weaknesse is great and our minds begin to stray from our Prayer conceiued in silence and then it shall bee good to speake out yea euen to cry out that which wée but thought before to the ende that so wee may stay a starting minde and bring it to the sounde of the tongue This hath bene a wisedome of the godly euer and a meanes as wee reade to helpe them The Profite Dauid saith I cried to the Lorde with my voice and I saide thou art my hope and my portion in the lande of the liuing So that he vseth the pronountiation of worde and happelie euen for this cause that wée speake of Saint Augustine sayeth Deuotio nostra voce excitatur our deuotion and affection is stirred vppe and and quickened by the voyce And experience serueth for longer proofe in this matter The gestures of body as knéeling lying prostrate vpon the earth knocking of the breast and couering the face or turning to the wall lifting vp the eies and such like they are helpes also of affection Yea then are they lawfull and right in deede when they serue to this purpose in sinceritie and not to any outward shewe in hypocrisie And thus much of them Now on the other side as these be helps vnder God to quicken vp our Spirites in prayer if we bee dull and to make vs pray zealously and earnestly so are there impediments also that hinder vs and make vs that wee cannot pray with such affection as we ought As the contraries of these that I haue spoken of A proude hart puft with conceit of merit an ignorance or at lest not a through consideration of the thing or thinges we begge a leaning to second causes ouermuch a dulnes in the seeking of Gods promises such like which I may not nowe ouer againe folow at large One great let only will I touch and so conclude this poynt that is ignorāce of the speech or tongue wherein we pray Which I call euen a great let because it not onely hindereth our affection and zeale but otherwise dangerously hurteth vs by keeping from vs a singular fruite of our prayer as will appeare This great folly then of many in y e world that delight to pray in a straunge tongue not onely so but boldly to say no worse of them defende that they can pray with as right an affection thus as otherwise hath first God against it in his word most plainly by the voyce of Saint Paul the Apostle who saith flatly no man heareth their prayers that are so made
the earth and all the creatures in them both he offendeth neuer neither needeth that any should forgiue him and yet is he more fauourable to his very enemies than we are to our liked and loued friends For he spareth the woorst more than we the best and though they sinne often yet forgiueth he stil They aske and he graunteth they knocke and he openeth they cry hee spareth yea though they haue cryed it ten thousand times forgiue vs our trespasses and hee euer hath forgiuen very great and grieuous ones yet is he not weary when we cry agayne and casteth vs of but he is patient toward vs sayth Saint Peter and woulde haue no man perish but al to come to repentance and to be saued O deerest GOD what fauour is this what goodnes is this to so great offenders Yea marke it here howe we are commaunded whilest we liue and breath to pray this prayer forgiue vs Lord and therefore playnely taught that euen so long there is mercy with GOD without wearynes a gracious open eare to a sinfull suter and pardon for that sinne that frailtie hath fallen into and nowe seeketh in a better grace to haue done away This is great patience that indureth till death being so often prouoked to deny such fauour with rauished harts for the swéetnes of it may wee heare and learne it yet let vs not abuse it as some haue done but remember wel what the Apostle sayd when it was obiected shal wee sinne that grace may abound God forbid Howe shall wee which are deade to sinne liue yet therein and so forth as followeth there at large The riches of his bountifulnes patience and long sufferaunce leadeth to repentance sayth the same Apostle If to repentance then not to presumption if to amendment then not to continuance in the euill and therefore take heede Punit Deus serò quidem sed duriter Long doeth the Lord stay ere he smite but hee smiteth home when hee doth smite Conclude wee then with wise Syrach Say not I haue sinned and what euill hath come vnto mee For the almightie is a patient rewarder but hee will not leaue thee vnpunished Because thy sinne is forgiuen be not without feare to heape sinne vpon sinne And say not the mercy of God is great hee will forgiue me my manifold sinnes for mercy and wrath come from him and his indignation commeth downe vpon sinners Make no tarying to turne vnto the Lord and put not off from day to day For suddenly shal the wrath of the Lord break forth and in thy securitie thou shalt bee destroyed and thou shalt perish in time of vengeance That houre that the wicked hope for is often denyed and suddenly they perish without repentance Therefore presume not Thirdly what Thirdly wee learne by this first worde that the remission of our sinnes is of meere mercie and fauour not for any merite of ours For marke I pray you how wee are taught to say not as the debtor sayd in the Gospel Lord refrayne thine anger toward vs and wee will pay thee all but absolutely and plainly Lord forgiue that is quite rased out and pardon without any recompence or satisfaction from vs or by vs. So that euen this petition if there were no more Scripture assureth the truth of that doctrine to vs that by grace wee liue and are saued Mercie pardoneth mercie healeth and mercy doth whatsoeuer God doth for vs. Merite dare not péepe to speake vnto the Lord. Iust as the Apostle sayth We are iustified freely by his grace not of works nay if of grace therefore not of works els were grace no grace Againe wee haue the forgiuenesse of our sinnes according to his rich grace And againe By grace are ye saued through faith that not of your selues it is the gift of God with a number such like places Iust also as the Father sayd Meritum meum miseratio Domini My merite is the onely and free mercie of God and so long aboūd I with merits as he aboundeth with mercies but take the one from him and take the other from me For my merite I say is his meere mercie Wherfore most greeuously doth that doctrine of Poperie robbe the Lord of his true and due honour when it teacheth satisfaction by man to God for his sinne For who can satisfie GOD but his onely Sonne in whom only he is pleased And of whom flatly it is sayd that he is the propitiation that is the full whole perfite and all the satisfaction that GOD requireth or can like of in this sense Mary knewe no other the Publican knewe no other Peter knewe no other nor the olde father when he sayd of Peter Lachrimas lego satisfactionem non lego Peters teares I read of but of any satisfaction that hee made himself to purge his sinne to please God with I reade of none but of this also more in his proper place if God will Let vs see the truth stand in the truth thanke the God of heauen for it and detest these Popish blasphemies against the Lord and his deare Sonne In that precious bloud is the father pleased and satisfied for al our sinnes if wee lay holde of it and for our workes they carie greater corruption in their bones and bowels than that so pure a God should bee pleased with them or so vggly sinnes euer purged by them Why is it said forgiue vs and not forgiue me To teach vs that which wee are dull to learne namely not to bestowe our whole loue and care vpon our selues but to deuide it also to our brethren and euen as hartely and earnestly to beseech the Lorde to blot out all their offences as our owne and to be mercifull to thē as to our selues But alas beloued where is this affection amongst vs where is this care of the spirituall good of our neighbours Truely it is most rare yea much more rare than can stand with right and true profession of Iesus Christ If wee doe thinke of our brethren at any time wish them well surely that reacheth but to earthly blessings to riches to honors to fauour and friends in this sinfull worlde and so wee might see them magnified and exalted in this respect our desire were answered and wee fully contented The pardon of their sinnes and fauour with God by his beloued Sonne their future ioye in a place of ioye endlesse and eternall alas we thinke not of we care not for God knoweth we seldome if euer pray for Yet is this all in all for how sodenly fadeth all worldly pompe if it be obtayned and how often fayle we and neuer do obtayne it Wherefore euen in this and euery petition of this daylie prayer the Lord hath quickned our earthly mindes to loue in a better sorte our neighbours and brethren and I pray you let vs learne it Remember how vehemently Moses felt the miserie of the Iewes if God forgaue